


Chatting Over Coffee

by MissCordayLewis



Category: E.R.
Genre: F/F, Friendship
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-06-08
Updated: 2012-06-08
Packaged: 2017-11-07 07:16:12
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 806
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/428359
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MissCordayLewis/pseuds/MissCordayLewis
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>After a clearing the board after a walkout, a cup of coffee makes all the difference.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Chatting Over Coffee

**Author's Note:**

> Set during "Insurrection", just before the Shadow Room scene.

Elizabeth rested on the lone bench on the rooftop, Styrofoam cup on hand. She sipped the rich brown liquid and let its intense, caramel aroma draw a line down her throat. Contrary to popular belief, she preferred coffee over tea: something that made her the butt of jokes back home. She attempted to take another gulp, only to discover that there's nothing left. She lifted her weight off her seat when someone placed an identical cup along her line of sight. Elizabeth then looked up to find Susan standing in front of her with both hands full. “I knew you were hiding out here.”

Prepared for another brush-off, Susan gasped when Elizabeth grabbed one of the coffee cups from after setting the other one down on her feet. “Thanks.”

Susan wiped the dust off the empty spot on the bench before sitting beside her. “Ugh, what a day. Can't believe we wiped off more than half of those patients.”, she said before she slurped on her coffee.

“Thought we would never end.”, Elizabeth said. “I guess John managed to get those security alarms”

Susan nodded. “Took a lot of Weaver cajoling on his end, but he did. Last thing I saw before I went up here was that drunk panhandler shaking his little bottle at the metal detectors.”

She heard a sniffle from Elizabeth's side. “Are you all right?”, she said before realizing that she shouldn’t have asked that question.

Elizabeth's feet shuffled on the floor as she looked down. The blonde gazed at the other person's eyes, but Elizabeth didn't flinch. Her fingers fiddled with the cup on her hand before looking back at Susan, her tone lowered to a whisper. “I'm fine, really. It's nothing”

Susan could spot a liar from a mile away, but she didn’t want to say it to her face. Lest that she pushes her away again, just like last time. Instead she focused on just being there, and nothing more. “You know this coffee is pretty impressive for the cheap grocery store kind.”

Taking another sip, Elizabeth concurred. “Yeah, reminds me of the coffee in this café back in England. It’s a small shop, mind you, but the coffee’s outstanding, considering the price.”

“Guess the brand change did well.” Susan said, gulping the last of her drink. “Haleh threw away five unfinished pots last week.”

“What a bloody waste.”

“You got that right.”, Susan said. “Well, not if it tasted more like drinkable paint thinner than actual beans”

Elizabeth laughed along with her, then paused for a moment before continuing. “Listen, I’m sorry for snapping out at you in the lounge the other day. It’s just that things came very quickly and it could get a little overwhelming.”

Susan could feel the pain in her words – how each word was controlled, rehearsed, as if on autopilot. “I understand, If there's anything I can do, just tell me. I’m just an elevator away if you need anything.”

Elizabeth smiled for the first time since she got back to Chicago, signs of life creeping back to her eyes. While her mood was much better now than when she came back, she still had a long way to go before going back to her normal self.

She then shot up and looked at her wrist watch. “Oh dear, it's getting late. Really need to pick Ella up from her nanny.”

“I really should go too.”, Susan said as they rose from the bench. “Going to see Orbital in the Shadow Room with Abby and Jing-Mei later. Wanna join us?”

“Oh, I would love to, but parenting duty calls.”

Silence surrounded them from that moment until they went down the elevator to the third floor. “So...I guess I'll see you tomorrow?”

The elevator dinged and opened its doors. Elizabeth exited the enclosure before facing Susan once more. “Bye, Susan. Appreciated the coffee and the company.”

Susan mouthed her goodbye before allowing the door to close. _Poor Elizabeth. Trying to live and move on after something like that._

She traded the blaring cool white of the ER for the contrast of neon and black light an hour later. Hanging out in clubs like these had been a recent endeavor for her – only sparked a little before she went back to Chicago. To stifle all thoughts, she down on drink, after drink, after drink, until she drank so much, she lost count on how many she already had.

Yet her mind was on Elizabeth the entire time – wondering how it must be to be alone in an empty house with only her daughter and a slew of memories to keep her company at this time of the night.

Most of all, wondering how she can get through to her, get her to see her as less of a threat, and more as a friend.


End file.
